Staff Reporter.
Sampdoria fans paid emotional tributes to former striker Gianluca Vialli, who passed away on Friday aged 58.
Vialli was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2017. In 2020 he revealed he had been given the all-clear, but was diagnosed with it again in 2021.
He played for Sampdoria between 1984-1992, winning Serie A in 1990-91.
Ten-man Sampdoria lost 2-0 against Serie A leaders Napoli, who won thanks to Victor Osimhen’s early goal and Eljif Elmas’ late penalty.
Napoli missed a sixth-minute penalty through Matteo Politano, but Osimhen scored after 19 minutes following good work from Mario Rui.
Sampdoria then went down to 10 men as Tomas Tincon was shown a straight red card just before half-time for chopping down Osimhen when he only had the goalkeeper to beat.
Napoli were given a second penalty after a handball by former Leeds United midfielder Ronaldo Vieira, which Elmas converted.
On Sunday flowers, scarves, club shirts and pictures were placed by fans outside Sampdoria’s Luigi Ferraris Stadium, the players wore training tops with ‘Vialli’ and his number nine on them, a number of fans held up banners during the match and the players also paid their respects before the game.
Napoli, who last won Serie A in 1990, are now seven points clear of both Juventus and AC Milan.
Milan dropped two points as they drew 2-2 with Jose Mourinho’s Roma in Sunday’s late game.
Goals from Pierre Kalulu and Tommaso Pobega saw Milan lead 2-0 before Roger Ibanez pulled one back in the 87th minute and England striker Tammy Abraham scored an equaliser in the fourth minute of injury time.